The Philadelphia Spine Research Society (PSRS) has been conducting annual research meetings since 2004 and the 2013 conference will be the second international meeting of the Society. This proposal seeks support for the Second International Conference New Horizons in Intervertebral Disc Research to be held November 6-8, 2013 at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. The primary purpose of this conference is to promote state-of-the-art research, and to enhance scientific discourse and collaborations in the broad field of intervertebral disc biology. Previous PSRS conferences have had an excellent track record of bringing together researchers and clinicians from numerous disciplines at various stages of their careers. Key features of the meeting include plenary lectures, state-of-the-art peer-reviewed presentations, roundtable discussions and trainee and student presentations. Distinguishing features of this conference are its relaxed atmosphere and purposefully unscheduled time to permit informal interactions and exchange of ideas among participants. The main topics to be highlighted at the 2013 conference include molecular, cell and developmental biology of the disc, mechanisms of pathogenesis of disc disease, molecular basis of discogenic pain, biomechanics of the spine, functional tissue engineering, biomedical device design and rehabilitation. The conference organizers expect broad participation from basic researchers as well as clinicians concerned with diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders.